New Survey Reveals 80% of Respondents Prefer Natural Diamonds for their Engagement Rings

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 24 August 2023 - Now that the pandemic is behind us, grooms and brides-to-be may be rethinking their wishes and priorities for their big day. However, certain core elements of engagements and weddings, such as the preciousness of an intimate "proposal" and a sparkling engagement ring adorned with natural diamonds, remain unchanged. These findings come from the latest online pre-bridal survey conducted by NielsenIQ.

The online survey, in its second consecutive year, continues to explore the latest engagement and wedding expectations in Hong Kong. Among the 482 respondents, 80% of them prefer natural diamonds for their engagement rings and 82% indicate engagement ring is an important detail in wedding planning. Two-thirds of the respondents research online about their ideal engagement rings, while 94% would conduct the purchase in local jewellery stores. The results also show that following the end of the pandemic, the preference for a more glamourous wedding has re-emerged, since social distancing is no longer a concern. More than half (54%) of the surveyed are in favour of a good balance of simplicity and grandeur in their weddings. A simple and casual wedding, which was highly popular last year, became the second choice (39%), followed by a travel wedding (28%).

The Proposal of Paramount Importance However, regardless of how couples would like to structure their big day, 88% of the respondents stress the paramount importance of a proposal. Unlike the wedding style, the proposal is usually viewed as an intimate event, with the vast majority of respondents (80%) preferring the proposal to take place privately. In addition, over half (60%) enjoy a moment of "just the two of us." The trend aligns largely with the results from last year.

Choose my own Engagement Ring A large majority of respondents (82%) believe engagement rings are an important part of a wedding, a trend that has remained consistent before and after the pandemic. This ritual is followed in importance by pre-wedding photos (72%) and honeymoons (58%).

Regarding the selection of an engagement ring, 80% of the respondents prefer natural diamonds while 86% of them would like to be involved in handpicking the right ring. The top considerations during the selection include the conventional 4Cs (colour, clarity, carat and cut) (83%). In addition, 39% of respondents would prefer diamonds that come with certifications, and 21% value the origin of their diamonds.

Meaning of Marriage and Engagement Rings As a new attempt this year, the survey included questions about meanings of marriage commitment. A majority of the respondents (70%) believe the marriage vow represents "everlasting love/life-long partnership", while 63% think marriage commitment means "unconditional/mutual support." Among those who opt for natural diamonds, over half of them (51%) appreciate natural diamonds are "one-of-a-kind", while 49% see natural diamonds as "precious, rare and naturally formed through time and nature".

Survey Methodology Commissioned by De Beers Group, the pre-bridal survey was conducted by NielsenIQ in May 2023 via multiple social media channels, with a total of 482 participants aged 18-44. Among the participants, 77% were female, while 23% were male. A majority of them (72%) were either engaged or in a serious relationship. The design and data analysis of the survey were engineered by NielsenIQ.

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